Car-truck



(.No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet. 1.

J. BSMITHMAN. y

GAR TRUGK.

No; 513,835. Patented Jan. 30, 1894.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sh t 2.

J. B.- SMITHMAN. ee

GAR TRUCK.

No. 513,835. ,Patented Jan. so', 1894.

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' 3. Fig. 5 is an end view of Fig. 3.

UNITED STATES` PATE/NT Fries.

JOHN B. sMITIIMAN, OF OIL CITY, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-TRUCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 513,835, dated January30, 1894. Application led May 29, 1893. lSerial No. 475,820. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, JOHN B. SMITHMAN, of Oil City, in the county ofVenango and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Car-Trucks, of which the following is afull, clear, andexact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view ofthe trucks of' a car embodying my invention, the middle wheels beingshown in horizontal central section. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof,partly in vertical section. The other figures show details of parts.Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line III-III of Fig. 1, showing apart of the middle axle in elevation. Fig. 4 is a vertical section ontheline IV-IV of Fig. Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing amodied construction; and Fig. 7 is an end View of Fig. 6.

Like symbols of reference indicate like parts in each view.

The object of my invention is to provide improved means forautomatically forcing the axles of street-cars and other cars into theline with the radii of curves while the car is passing around the same.I effect this irrespective of the distance of separation of the axles,and thus render the turning of the curves easy, economize motive power,and avoid that destructive jarring and grinding of the wheels upon thetrack which occurs when the ordinary street-car with rigid trucks passesa curve.

My improvement also makes it possible to provide the cars with a widewheel base for the purpose of avoiding oscillation of the carbody.

Fig. 1 shows the car provided with two end trucks 3, 3', each having anaxle 4, and wheels 5 which are fixed to the axle and adapted to bedriven by electric motors. Each truck is connected with the car-body bya king-bolt 6, which may be arranged in the usual manner, and permitsthe trucks to swivel horizontally.

The car has also a middle axle 7 provided with wheels 8, and carrying atits middle portion, permanently fixed thereto, a truss or frame 9.

10, 10, are three-armed levers pivoted to the car-body upon verticalbolts 11, between the trucks 3, 3', and the axle 7. Each of said levershas two of its arms connected by rods 12, with the outer portions of thetruck 3 or 3 next to it; and the third armof each lever is connectedwith the truss 9 bya pin 13, which is adapted to turn on its verticalaxis, and also to slide vertically in its bearings in the truss, toprovide for vertical motion of the car, (Figs. 3 and 4.) The wheels 8are preferably set loosely on the axle 7, so as to avoid the slidingaction of the Wheels in turning curves. Thethicknessofeach wheel atthehub along the line of the axle is preferably made equal to aboutone-fourth or more of the diameeter of the Wheel, so as to afford twowidely separated bearings at the ends of the hub. These wheels may beseton the axle in various ways, but they are preferably arranged asshown in Fig. 1, having semi-circular journalboxes 15 on the outer endofthe hub, and boxes 16 at the inner endthereof. The wheel is held inplace upon the axle by check-plates 17, shaped conformably to the boxes15, and fitted into grooves which surround the axle near its ends. Thecheck-plates are held by the journal-boxes 15, and both are confined byacap 18, which may be screwed to the hub, but is preferably held theretoby bolts 19. The axle 7 is prevented from moving lengthwise of the carandkept-atrightanglesto thecar-bodybystays or posts 20 which projectfromthe bottom of the car-body and are held rigidly thereto by braces21, or otherwise, (Figs. 2, 3 and 5.) The stays are slotted so as topermit vertical motion of the axle, and the axle has a smooth, evenlyfinished bearing for a short distance on each side of the stays, so asto permit it to move freely in the direction of its length.

A part of the weight of the car may be placed upon the middle axle bymeans of springs 22, one of which is placed in each of the stays. Theupper end of each spring bears against a plate 23 at the upper end ofthe stay, and at its lower end it bears upon a shoulder of a slide 24which is mounted so as to be capable of moving vertically in a slot inthe stay, and has a wheel or roller 25, which engages andl bears uponthe axle, (Figs. 3 and 5.) The slide 24 has a vertical guide stem 26,which passes up through the coil of the spring 22, and fits in a hole inthe plate 23. The con- IOO sequence is that the axle 7 can movevertically against the springs 22, While the Wheels 25 enable it to movefreely in the direction of its length.

Instead of using a non-rotatory axle 7 as above described, the axle maybe adapted to rotate and both the wheels fixed rigidly thereto, or onewheel may be fixed and the other jonrnaled upon the axle so as toprevent sliding of the Wheels at curves. In the construction justmentioned, I arrange the parts as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, making thetruss 9 longer than otherwise, and providing it at its ends Withjournal-boxes 27, which encircle the axle, and are held in properposition thereon by collars 28 formed on or fixed to the axle Within thejournal-boxes. I also place the stays 2O farther apart, and adapt thewheels 25 to bear upon the upper surface of the truss instead of bearingupon the axle.

The operation of the apparatus is as followsz--W'hen the car is runningupon a straight track, the levers l0, being connected with the endtrucks and with the truss upon the middle axle, hold said end trucks sothat the axles shall be at right angles to the track and to thecar-body. Vhen the car reaches a curve, the Wheels of thev middle axleimpinge at their flanges against the sides of the rails, and move theaxle 7 in the direction of its length and transversely of the carbodytoward the outer side of the curve. The axle carries with it the truss 9which, being connected at 13 with the levers 10, turns said levers ontheir fixed centers 11, and by means of the rod l2, they turn the trucks3 and 3 upon their king-bolts G, forcing the trucks apart at the outerside of the curve and drawing them together at the inner side. In thismanner the axles of the trucks are forced automatically in line with theradius of the curve and when the car leaves the curve they are forcedback again to their normal posi tion.

When the parts are so constructed that the distance from the middle axle7 to each of the outer axles is the same as the Width of the track, thenthe three arms of the level` 10 should be made of equal length or nearlyso, but When the distance between said axles is 5o greater than thewidth of the track, the middle arm should be made proportionately longerthan the other two arms, the proper proportion being easily determinedby calculation, so that when correct dimensions are arrived at for agiven wheel base, the device will force the axle into radial line, nomatter what the radius of the curves may be.

The advantages of my invention have been generally indicated above, andwill be appre- 6o ciated by those skilled in the art.

Within the scope of my invention as dened in the following claims,modifications in the form and general arrangement of the parts may bemade, since 6 What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination of a pair of swiveled trucks, bell-crank-levers, andconnecting rods extending between the levers and trucks; sub- 7ostantially as described.

2. -The combination of a pair of swivelled trucks, bell-crank-leverspivoted to the body of the car, and connecting rods extending betweenthe levers and trucks; substantially as described.

3. The combination of a pair of sWiveled trucks, bell-crank-levers, andconnecting rods extending between the levers and trucks, and atransversely movable axle to which the bell- 8o crank levers are pivotedsubstantially as described.

In testimony Whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN B. SMITIIMAN.

Witnesses:

W. B. CORWIN, II. M. CORWIN.

